


Leah Reeves and the Sea of Secrets

by PilindielTheElf



Series: Leah Reeves [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: A LOT of Angst, Angst and Feels, Azkaban, Basically just angst, Book 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Dementors, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, F/M, Healing, Humanity, Hurt/Comfort, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Murder Mystery, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please Don't Hate Me, Post-Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Secrets, Slow Burn, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-31
Updated: 2021-03-01
Packaged: 2021-03-12 14:20:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29011932
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PilindielTheElf/pseuds/PilindielTheElf
Summary: PURE-BLOOD FAMILY FOUND DEAD. FIRES IN EDINBURGH. REEVES FAMILY IN CHAOS.In 1978, Leah Reeves lost everything: her friends, her family, and herself. She was sent to Azkaban for murdering the very ones she loved. Sentenced for the rest of her life, everything in her world has flipped upside down. The only thing she knows is that she is innocent, but even that is questionable.Fifteen slow years have passed, and Leah has long lost her hope. She has come to terms with her fate, and the mystery surrounding her incarceration would forever be left unsolved. That is, until an old friend shows up.Leah escapes Azkaban with the help of Sirius Black. Together, they go on the run, diving head-first back into the wizarding world. As it turns out, not much has changed. Lord Voldemort is once again on the rise, which proves to have some unconventional problems. However, Leah is determined to discover the truth no matter the cost.She just didn’t expect it to hurt even more than the lies.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Original Female Character(s)
Series: Leah Reeves [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2128326
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. LEAH REEVES ARRESTED FOR MURDER

Just last week, the bodies of Julian Reeves, 44, Tyler Reeves, 9, and Elsie MacKay, 43, were discovered by Ainsley Greengrass, 22. The cause of death is speculated to be murder, and the main suspect appears to be Leah Reeves, 17. 

“I don’t know why she would do such a thing,” says Greengrass, fighting back tears. “She loved Tyler, and our parents were always so kind.” 

Back in 1974, the  _ Daily Prophet  _ has previously written about the divorce between Julian and Elsie Reeves for reasons unknown. According to Greengrass, the case is simple. It was the fault of Leah Reeves. Apparently, she was too troublesome, and neither parties wanted to handle her villainous endeavors. 

She is wild and unhinged,  _ writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent _ . Many past events have shown Reeves to have quite a notorious reputation for bringing madness wherever she goes. Several of her classmates at Hogwarts have spoken out to confirm our suspicions. 

“She tried to kill me once,” reveals Severus Snape, a Seventh Year. “She convinced her friends to play a joke on me, but it turned out to be an ambush. I could have died if I hadn’t realized what was going on!” This means that murder isn’t the only crime under Leah Reeves’s belt but also attempted murder. 

Another student at Hogwarts, who wished to remain anonymous, explained that “Leah never liked sticking to one group of friends. She would jump between groups of people, and she would never say anything about her family or personal life. It was as if she was searching for a target.” 

Reeves also attempted to escape capture when the Ministry of Magic went forward with taking her into custody. It turns out that she is an unregistered animagus. She transformed into a blackbird and tried to fly away but was recaptured by the aurors on duty. 

It is a shame that Reeves is a cold-blooded criminal. To become an animagus is a long and hard process. Only the brightest of wizards can perfect it at a young age. 

But rest assured that our safety will not be threatened by this miscreant delinquent. The Ministry has confirmed that she will be condemned to Azkaban. Our sources say that it is very likely that she is looking at a life sentence.


	2. Prologue | What it Used to Be

**August 1971**

Leah looked up at the blue sky. Water pushed against her back, tickling her skin like little feathers. The ocean waves were gentle, and they swayed from side to side, rocking her as if she was a child. She felt weightless, free, and as if she was asleep in a dream. 

It was a beautiful day, and the sun was only beginning to make its way back down from its peak. Its warmth spread through Leah’s skin like an embrace. Her usually brown hair was sunkissed, almost golden in the light, and her cheeks were flushed with pink roses. Spreading her arms out, she breathed in the salt and mist. 

Leah allowed her eyes to flutter shut. Her body drifted away from the beach, but she was perfectly happy with the ocean taking her wherever it desired. It was a feeling of freedom that she didn’t ever want to lose, that she could never imagine losing. She didn’t ever want to forget it. 

A faint splash echoed in her ears. White foam landed on her nose, and salt seeped into her lips. She should have known what was coming; she should have reacted. The sweet lure of the sea, however, pulled her back. It put her into a slumber that she couldn’t wake from, but she wasn’t sleeping. She was wide awake in a world where anything could happen, where even the smallest of her dreams were true. She was—

Her head dipped below the water’s surface. She flipped over. Water rushed into her nostrils. Her eyes stung. Leah gasped for air as her head popped out of the water like a rocket. She laughed. 

“Shelby!” Leah said. She raised her hands to block an incoming splash. 

Her little sister giggled and dived forward. Leah squealed as she was tackled. She fell backwards and instinctively grabbed Shelby down with her. The water caught the both of them, but not without a large splash. The droplets showered down on the both of them, and Leah pulled Shelby in closer. 

They smiled at each other. 

“Leah! Shelby!” Ainsley ran towards them. Her eyes flashed with concern, and she quickly looked them both over. “Be careful! I don’t want you getting hurt!” 

“We’re fine!” Leah said as Shelby rolled her eyes. “Stop worrying. We’ve been to the beach before.” 

“Not all of us, remember? We have to be good role models.” 

Leah looked at Tyler, who rested comfortably in Ainsley’s arms. She climbed onto her feet, and her eyes softened. Tyler was only two, and out of all the Reeves siblings, he was the only one with the features of their mother. His hair was a light bronze, copper underneath the light of the sun, and his eyes were hazel with a green so faint that you could only see if you looked long enough. They were mesmerizing things, small smiling gemstones. 

“He’ll be alright,” Leah said, trailing a finger against his soft skin. She laughed when his tiny hands clutched onto hers. “He’ll be fine.” 

Ainsley pursed her lips. If she wasn’t holding Tyler, she would have crossed her arms and tilted her head slightly to the side. Shelby had always joked that it was her signature move. 

Leah sighed. “We’ll be careful,” she said. “Right, Shelby? 

She glanced back at Shelby, who was still crouching in the water. She nodded, attempting a small smile. “Ty won’t even remember this.” 

Ainsley narrowed her eyes. “Just don’t do anything stupid.” 

“When have we done anything stupid?” Leah said, stepping back into the water. She grinned. “Go back to reading your book or whatever you’re doing over there.” 

“Leah—” 

With a swipe of her hand, Shelby splashed a bit of water onto Ainsley, who jumped back. She tightened her grip on Tyler and huffed out a breath, spinning on her heels and marching back to her chair. 

“I swear, ever since she’s gotten that Head Girl badge, she’s been so much more annoying.” 

Leah lowered herself down next to Shelby. Leaning back, she propped herself up on her elbows. “Aye,” she agreed. “It’s gotten all in her head.” 

“We should do something about it.” 

Leah smirked. “You’ve read my mind. Any ideas?” 

Shelby glanced over her shoulder, leaning in towards Leah. She lowered her voice. “Well, Ainsley hates sand. And...” She looked down. “We are on a beach.” 

Leah dipped her hand into the sand. It sifted through her fingers like a waterfall of grain. She met Shelby’s eyes before looking back at Ainsley. “We could bury something,” she said. 

Shelby’s eyes lit up. The corners of her lips curled upwards. “Let’s bury her badge.” 

Leah laughed, letting herself fall back against the sand. She nodded. “Pure dead brilliant,” she said. “I’ll get it, and you can distract her.” 

Shelby blinked and frowned. She crossed her arms “Why can’t you be the distraction?” she asked. “I’ll get the badge. It’s easier, that way.” 

Leah looked at Shelby. Standing, she placed a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. She smiled. “Okay,” she said. “I’ll be the distraction.” 

Taking a deep breath, Shelby nodded. She stood and made her way towards Ainsley, finding a place to innocently mimic building a sandcastle. Tyler tried to help, crawling towards her. 

Leah watched them for a minute before turning back to the ocean. Her fingers itched to do something, tingled as if magic was flowing through them at that very moment. And they were. 

Only thing was, Leah had no idea how to control it. But she knew how to manipulate her emotions. She knew how to play the game. She knew how to make herself like a thunderstorm, imitating fury as if she was a roaring lion. 

She waded into the water and started to float. She looked over at Ainsley. She was writing something, a letter to her boyfriend perhaps. Leah inclined her head, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She let herself wander deeper into the ocean. 

Energy sparked. It wasn’t intentional, but it wasn’t unintentional either. It was a distraction. A huge wave, towering higher than Leah had ever seen. It was blue, darker than ice and lighter than the night. White foam rimmed the edge, and it fell towards Leah. Falling, falling, and crashing down onto her with the weight of the sky. 

Leah didn’t scream. Water rushed into her mouth. She lost her balance and plummeted down. It went dark. Her legs pushed her towards nothing. Her hand reached, and they grasped nothing but water. Her muscles screeched. The ocean pushed back. 

Tears stung her eyes, but not tears of sadness or desperation. She would be saved. She wouldn’t drown. She knew she wouldn’t drown. There was no way she was going to die. Ainsley wouldn’t let that happen. She, herself, wouldn’t let that happen. She would be fine. Her lungs used up the last of air. Her fingertips sparked again. Her whole body did. However, before Leah could unleash any more magic, a hand pulled her out of the depths. 

The air was cold, icy. Leah coughed as her head bobbed out of the water. Her hair fell in her eyes like little snakes, completely drenched. She gagged, choking as water made its way back out. She looked at Ainsley, who dragged her back onto the sand. 

“Hey,” she said after breathing in the air. 

Ainsley looked down at her. She frowned. “What do you mean ‘hey’? You almost died!” 

Leah shrugged. She placed a hand on her heart, which was beating faster than she would have cared to admit. Adrenaline pumped in her veins, and she looked back at the ocean. There was a trace of a smile on her lips. “I had it under control.” 

“Did you?” Ainsley scoffed. “When are you going to learn, Leah? Something’s going to catch up to you eventually. You have to be more careful.” 

“I was being careful,” Leah said. She stood, blinking sand out of her eyes. “I’ve never been more careful.” 

Ainsley bit on her lip and crossed her arms. She inclined her head, raising an eyebrow. “Look, Leah,” she said. “You’re starting Hogwarts in a week. There are rules. You can’t go around breaking them, and—” Her voice dropped down to a whisper. “And Shelby won’t be there to back you up. You can hope, but she will not be there to help you and your little shenanigans. She’ll be here with Tyler, with Mother and Father.” 

Leah sucked in a breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Shelby nod her way. They had the badge. “Whatever,” she said, turning away. 

“Leah!” Ainsley grabbed her arm. “This is serious. You can’t go around doing these things at Hogwarts. We’re Reeves. We have a reputation to uphold. What would Mother say?” 

Leah looked down at herself. She clenched her fists. “This is rubbish. Just let this go.” 

“Leah.” 

She sighed, meeting her eyes. “I know, I know. What goes on at home, stays at home. I’m not going to do anything at Hogwarts, okay. Get off my back.” 

Ainsley didn’t say anything as Leah jogged towards Shelby, who waited for her at her sandcastle. She looked curiously at her, peering behind her at Ainsley who watched them with an odd expression. “What’d she say?” she asked. 

Crouching down next to her, Leah shook her head. She waved the question away. “Nothing important,” she said. “You have the badge?” 

Shelby grinned, pressing the small, metal pin into her hand. It was fiery red, crimson like blood with golden lettering. The colors of the Gryffindor house. 

Leah grinned. “Brilliant,” she said. “Come on, let’s find a place to bury it.” 

Leah all but dragged Shelby away. Not towards the ocean but further along the beach where sand met grass. Closer to the manor that they called home. 

“Why are we going closer to home?” Shelby asked. “Shouldn’t we go somewhere she wouldn’t think to look?” 

Leah laughed. “Shelby, Shelby, Shelby,” she said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “That’s what Ainsley is going to think. She’s going to go out on the beach and search for hours when really, we buried it so close to home. She’ll never see this coming.” 

Shelby nodded. “Good call,” she said. “We’re too smart for her.” 

“I know,” Leah said. She stopped in her path and looked around. “I think here is good.” 

Dropping down onto her knees, Leah started to scoop out sand. Shelby quickly followed suit, and before long, they had a big enough hole for the badge. Handing the badge to Shelby, Leah smiled. “Do the honors.” 

Shelby giggled and placed the badge in the center of the hole. By the time they covered it up, their names were being called, and Julian Reeves, their father, was walking out of their home. 

“Girls!” he called. “And boy! Dinner is ready!” 

Ainsley stood. She carried Tyler in one hand and their belongings in the other. Making sure she had everything, she suddenly froze. Leah smirked as Ainsley frowned. “Wait!” she said. Her eyes widened. “Where’s my Head Girl badge?” 

Julian pursed his lips. “You lost it?” 

“No! I couldn’t have. It was right here, I—” Her voice faltered. She spun onto Leah. “What did you do?” 

Leah smiled innocently. “What do you mean what did I do? I did nothing.” 

“Shelby?” 

“Don’t look at me!” Shelby raised her two hands. “I couldn’t have done anything.” 

“Cut the act!” Ainsley said, marching towards them. She handed Tyler over to Julian. “It had to be you two! What did you do to it?” 

Leah couldn’t keep her laughter in any longer, and she snorted. Covering her mouth, she shook her head. “I don’t know!” 

Rolling her eyes, Ainsley sighed. “What did I say about messing around?” she said, digging through the bag she was holding. She clicked her tongue, shaking her head in frustration. 

Ainsley pulled out her wand, and Leah stiffened. This was something that she hadn’t accounted for. “What are you doing?” she gasped. 

Ainsley glared at her. “Accio badge!” she said. 

The badge shot out of the sand from where Shelby was standing. Yelping, she crashed into Leah, and the two of them fell into a heap. Ainsley looked down at the both of them. She crossed her arms. “Well?” 

“Sorry, Ainsley,” Shelby said, ducking her head down. 

Ainsley nodded at her, and Shelby quickly darted away to catch up with Julian and Tyler, who had begun making their way back. Leah blew at a strand of loose hair. 

“You cheated!” she said. 

“You stole!” Ainsley snapped. “I thought you said you were going to stop doing this!” 

“I did not!” 

“You said you weren’t going to do anything!” 

“No.” Leah placed her hands on her hips. “I said I wasn’t going to do anything at Hogwarts. Are we at Hogwarts? Are we?” 

“If you aren’t going to stop here, you aren’t going to stop there.” 

Leah rolled her eyes. “You don’t know that.” 

“I know you.” 

Leah stared at her. “Do you?” she said. “Do you know me? Last I checked, you’re always looking over my shoulder telling me what to do.” 

“I’m your sister.” 

“Shelby’s my sister too.” 

“But Shelby isn’t—you know what? No. I’m not doing this now.” Ainsley rubbed her eyes. “Just don’t do anything stupid at Hogwarts.” 

“Scared I’m going to ruin your reputation?” 

Ainsley met her eyes. “No,” she said. “I’m not scared for mines. I’m scared for yours, and what you’re going to do to us all.” 

Leah threw her hands up into the air and scoffed. “Mind your own business!” she said. “There’s nothing to be afraid of. Everything’s going to be fine. I know what I’m doing! I’m not going to do anything dumb.” 

“You promise?” 

“Yeah.” Leah nodded. She turned to look at the horizon, at where the ocean kissed the sky. She took a deep breath. 

“I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, yes. Here is the traditional author's note to start everything off. I usually don't have much to say in these, but man... Leah just hits different. For those of you who have no idea who I am, hi. Hello. Welcome to my little corner of the internet. I'm Pili, your oh so kind author, unsung hero, apprentice procrastinator, angst extraordinaire, and fandom enthusiast. Thank you for picking this fic up, and I hope you enjoy it! 
> 
> Anyways, Leah has been in the works for well over a year I believe now. I actually published a version of this story before(I think it was called Kristen Reeves and the Search for Justice or something like that), and it was horrible. I had no plan for it, and the only thing that was going for it was the part where she escaped Azkaban with Sirius. But this... this story that you are reading... it's great. I love it so much. I'm actually so proud of it haha, and I don't say that much. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do, and please don't be shy! I love reading your comments(and maybe laughing at your pain...). 
> 
> In regards to more technical news, this story will start off as a monthly thing. I will post it every month on the first until whenever I feel comfortable with weekly posts. The monthly posts will not be temporary, for then we will be here until 2023. And that doesn't even cover the second book lmao. 
> 
> I think that's all I have to say for now. Thanks again for giving this story a try, and have a good day wherever you are. <3


	3. Chapter One | Losing Years

Leah blinked when a scream broke through the air, shattering the silence as if it was glass. She yawned, lazily rubbing her eyes as a dementor drifted past her cell. A trail of darkness followed it, leaving a merciless stream of ice. Dread crawled into her heart with no remorse, gladly sending a wave of goosebumps down her arm. She shivered. 

After fifteen years, Leah found that she had gotten quite good at dealing with the dementors. Better than when she first arrived at least. Nothing could have stopped the throbbing of her heart after reliving past memories. She couldn’t stop the thoughts of what could have been. What should have been. But she had learned, adapted. She knew how to tune out the screams, she knew how to handle the cold, and she knew how to cling onto the cusps of the living. 

The pain was still there like always. It didn’t hurt any less from all her lost years. It numbed her like a white blizzard in a frozen winter. In a way, it was her best friend. Her only friend. Of course, she had learned how to hide it, pushing her feelings deep down where they would never reach the mask she had begun to depend on. But sometimes, the dementors managed to break the mask. Sometimes, Leah thought that the world was over. That she was done for. 

However, Leah must have been doing something right. She was still alive somehow—surviving. Many of Azkaban’s prisoners would have never made it as long as she did. They would have given themselves up to madness, or better yet: they died. 

Fifteen years ago, Leah would have fought tooth and claw to be the best, to be someone special. She would have been so brilliantly happy to be considered a dangerous witch. Now, she wanted anything but. She wanted to be like everyone else; she wanted to let herself go. Because insanity must have been better than whatever state she was in. Death must have been better than suffering. Anything would have been better than knowing. 

Knowing that she didn’t belong there. Knowing that she didn’t deserve any of it. 

Knowing that she was innocent. 

Leah didn’t belong to Azkaban, the notorious prison for dangerous wizards. She had never committed murder like the Ministry of Magic had so persistently insisted. She had never killed Julian and Elsie, her parents, and Tyler. No, she had been accused of something that wasn’t hers. She had been framed. And it drove her crazy that she didn’t know exactly what happened. 

It had all been a blur, happening after Christmas break. Classes had only been in session for about a week or maybe two—she couldn’t remember—and she had been joking around with her friend Peter. That was when the whispers started. When she had become the focus of everyone’s stares. The Daily Prophet had arrived. 

Now, Leah didn’t like the news. It brought up unnecessary problems that she would have rather not had. Memories that hurt too much. And on that day, there was nothing she could have done to avoid it. James Potter had come running at her, shoving the paper into her face so that the headline was forever ingrained in her head.  _ Pure-blood family found dead.  _

And the next thing she knew, that she could remember, aurors had flocked the school. Officials from the ministry had marched to her dorm. Journalists from all over England were clawing for her attention. They took her away from Hogwarts, away from her friends, and away from the truth. They didn’t grant her a trial like the papers had said, marking the case as closed. They had brought her straight to Azkaban, headfirst into the dark. 

Leah sighed. She looked down at herself. Dirt caked her fingernails, her toenails, her whole body like it was clothing. Every single spot on her was covered, every mark, every blemish. She didn’t even know the color of her skin anymore; she couldn’t remember. And she didn’t even want to try and scrub it all off. If she was going to sit in the same spot forever, then what was the point of cleaning herself? That would have just been useless. But maybe it could have been a good way to pass the time. Something to do. Something to focus on. Leah didn’t though. Maybe she was just too scared that her skin would peel off with the dirt. 

The tips of her hair dragged on the ground, gathering dust like old furniture. When she stood, if she could still stand, they would have touched her toes like they were a curtain. Her robes were tattered and torn, faded out so that there was no trace of color. They had been on her body for so long, Leah had begun to think that they were a part of her. She ran a hand through her hair, burying her fingers into the rough tangles and knots. She sighed. 

Ainsley was right. She should have been more careful. She should have just followed the rules and acted like the upper class daughter she was meant to be. She should have just listened. 

Maybe then she wouldn’t be there. Maybe then she would have graduated. Maybe then Tyler could have lived. 

Leah leaned back, her head bumping against the hard wall. She balled her fists. Or maybe she should have been the murderer. That way, she could have been at peace with herself. 

And Leah had willed herself to think that she was. She had told herself every single day that she deserved everything that came her way, that it really was her that killed her family. That it was her fault. But every single time she came close to convincing herself, a little voice spoke in her head. 

She was innocent. 

She didn’t kill Julian. She didn’t kill Elsie. She didn’t kill Tyler. She was innocent. 

Kind of. 

It was true that she had attempted to transform into her animagus, a blackbird, when they came for her. It was true that being unregistered was against the law. It was true that she had gone home for Christmas after three years of avoiding the winter holidays. So Leah wasn’t exactly in the green, but that didn’t mean she was guilty. She was innocent. 

Tugging lightly at the shackles that chained her ankles together, Leah winced. Unlike the other prisoners that had been free to roam about the prison, too lost to try and escape, she had been capped. Limited in movement to prevent transformation. 

She huffed in annoyance, slamming her fist into the ground with frustration. The only reason she had even become an animagus was for her friends. She had met Remus Lupin in her First Year. Quite ironically, she had been breaking the rules by exploring the castle at night. She had stumbled upon him with Madam Pomfrey during a full moon and had become the first person other than staff to discover that he was a werewolf. 

After that, it didn’t take long for her to befriend the others. Peter Pettigrew became her best friend, and James Potter and Sirius Black were some of the best partners in crime she had ever met. They had the same idea of fun as she did, the same need for mischief. 

Leah’s face darkened. At least, she thought they did. They weren’t really her friends, not anymore. Were they ever really? None of them had tried to get her out. They had left her out for the wolves. Besides, Leah had recently learned from the Minister of Magic, who had visited a week ago, that Sirius had actually turned and killed Peter. Apparently, he had also been the cause of the deaths of James and his wife Lily. He was in Azkaban now. Where—Leah had no idea. It was better that way. She would have really committed murder if she knew where he was placed. 

Grabbing her head, Leah squeezed her eyes shut. She dragged her hands down, pulling at her hair. She took a breath. The hairs on her arms bolted up. She coughed. Another dementor went past her cell, another scream from an oblivious prisoner. Ice spiked up from the ground. 

Leah glared at the dementor, doubling over at the prick to her heart. She released her hands. Exhaled. A puff of white blew out of her lips. A small, transparent cloud—the only cloud she had seen for the fifteen years she had been caged in a cell. 

Scratching at her neck, Leah settled back down to her spot in the corner of her cell. She uncomfortably shifted against the stone that dug into her back. There wasn’t anything she could do about it, but it still annoyed her more than it should have. 

Then, she forgot all about it. Her blood froze. Her heart ceased. Chills sprinted down her spine. Sweat dripped from her forehead, cold. 

Her fingertips ran across the side of her neck. Static sizzled. There was a tiny bump, a rough patch of skin, a small scar. If anyone else were to have run their hand along her neck, they wouldn’t have felt it. It was the tiniest difference, but to Leah, it was a loud, blaring siren. It was a tattoo, dark like the shadows, imprinted with the blackest ink on the earth. It was a brand to show that she wasn’t free, that she was what the Daily Prophet called a “savage malefactor.” It made her an animal. A wild, unhinged creature with no control over herself. 

She hated the tattoo. She hated what it did to her. The memory was worse. 

Bringing her knees to her chest, Leah leaned forward. Hugging herself, she looked around the cell. Anger boiled underneath her skin, bubbling like a pot of hot water. She bit down on her lip. A metal tang. 

She couldn’t help getting mad. She had been mad for fifteen years—more than fifteen years if she thought about it. She’d been stuck in a tiny cell, occupying the same old air. Occupying the same small corner. Doing the same things over and over. 

She had replayed all of her memories at least a billion times, and she had evaluated, analyzed, and reviewed her thoughts a trillion times more. Some days, she spiraled. Her brain went on tirades, creating scenarios where she was never arrested, scenarios where everyone was good. Where she was happy. 

They never worked out. They were never—tap. 

Tap. 

Tap. 

Quiet footsteps wandered into her ears. Soft, muffled clicks on the stone ground. There was no echo, but in Leah’s ears, it was a trumpet. A ringing, bellowing warning that struck her with the ferocity of a rabid racoon. Her chest constricted. Eyes widened. 

Even after all the years, she recognized it. How could she not? She knew those footsteps like they were the back of her hand. She knew it, and once upon a time, she had cherished it. 

There was no comfort to them anymore. Only fury. 

Pushing herself onto her feet, Leah grabbed onto the wall before she could fall forward. She quickly found her balance, still slightly tethering on her feet. The steel shackles on her ankles groaned, and the metal bit into her skin. Her ankles went warm. 

Black entered her vision, a different kind of black. It wasn’t like the walls, the floors, the iron bars, or the dementor’s hood. There was no difference in shade, but it was different. It was just… black. 

It approached Leah’s cell, a great dog, skinny and scrawny. Its ribs poked through its fur, but it was still nimble, agile like a gentle breeze. Silver eyes pierced through her, seeing right through her as if she was a ghost. 

Leah stiffened, raising her chin as she backed up against the wall. She clenched her fists. She narrowed her eyes. 

Because standing right in front of her was the very one she sought to end. 

The traitor, the false friend. 

Sirius Black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that my friends wraps up chapter one! :D 
> 
> We did a 180 turn from last chapter and just went full on angst. We love that here in this household. Well... maybe y'all don't, but I do. If you can't already tell, there will be a lot more of it coming up. 
> 
> And oho, is that Sirius making his first appearance I see? Bet y'all didn't think they'll be escaping already. 
> 
> (Okay, maybe you did. What else was Leah going to do? Sit in her prison and rot even more? I don't think she deserves that. The girl's been through enough.) 
> 
> See y'all next month!


End file.
